Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D
| runtime = 40 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = $3 million | gross = $40,339,402 }} Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D is a 2005 IMAX 3D documentary film about the first humans on the Moon, the twelve astronauts in the Apollo program. It is co-written, produced and directed by Mark Cowen, and co-written, produced by and starring Tom Hanks. Production The film includes historical NASA footage as well as re-enactments and computer-generated imagery. Tom Hanks is the narrator, co-writer and co-producer. Magnificent Desolation is the third Apollo-related project for Hanks: he was previously involved in the film Apollo 13 and the miniseries From the Earth to the Moon. The cast includes Andrew Husmann, Aaron White, Brandy Blackledge, Gary Hershberger, and Scott Wilder. The voice cast includes Morgan Freeman, John Travolta, Paul Newman, Matt Damon, Matthew McConaughey. Bryan Cranston and Peter Scolari reprised their From the Earth to the Moon roles as Buzz Aldrin and Pete Conrad, respectively; many of the other actors had previously portrayed different people depicted in the film, in From the Earth to the Moon, The Right Stuff, and/or Apollo 13. Score by James Newton HowardJames Newton Howard at Internet Movie Database and Blake Neely.Blake Neely at Internet Movie Database The film was released in IMAX theaters on September 23, 2005. It was released on DVD on November 6, 2007. Origins of title The title comes from Buzz Aldrin's descriptionIn George Pal's 1950 film, Destination Moon, the moonwalkers are asked, "Can you give us your first impressions of the moon?". Dr. Cargraves (Warner Anderson) replies, "Well, I'll try. The first impression is one of utter barrenness and desolation." The movie was loosely based on Rocket Ship Galileo by Robert A. Heinlein, who also helped write the script. In the book Heinlein describes the moon as "a scene of blistering desert desolation". of the lunar landscape: : Aldrin: Beautiful view! : Armstrong: Isn't that something! Magnificent sight out here. : Aldrin: Magnificent desolation.Apollo 11 Lunar Surface Journal "One Small Step" Aldrin's statement was substantially predicted nineteen years earlier in the film, Destination Moon, in which Charles Cargraves, the fictional second man on the moon, states "The first impression is one of utter barrenness and desolation."[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsisGSBlQqo Destination Moon, 1950, at 1:07:24] Without Aldrin realising it, he was also quoting the Wilkie Collin's classic "The Moonstone": '..I resolved not to leave Kattiawar, without looking once more on the magnificent desolation of Somnauth..' Cast *Tom Hanks as Narrator (voice) [portrayed Jim Lovell in Apollo 13 and hosted From the Earth to the Moon eps. 1-11] *John Corbett as Harrison Schmitt (voice) *Andrew Husmann as David Scott *Bryan Cranston as Buzz Aldrin (voice) [reprised From the Earth to the Moon role, portrayed Gus Grissom in That Thing You Do] *Aaron White as James Irwin *Matt Damon as Alan Shepard (voice) *Gary Hershberger as Astronaut Grace *Morgan Freeman as Neil Armstrong (voice) *Scott Wilder as Astronaut Wallace *Brandy Blackledge as Future Astronaut *Scott Glenn as Charles Duke (voice) [portrayed Alan Shepard in The Right Stuff] *Rick Gomez as Alpha Station Commander (voice) *Colin Hanks as Conspiracy Neil Armstrong *Bo Stevenson as Conspiracy Grip *Frank John Hughes as Future Houston Capcom (voice) *Tim Matheson as Houston Capcom (voice) *Matthew McConaughey as Alan Bean (voice) *Neal McDonough as Reservoir Commander (voice) *Paul Newman as David Scott (voice) *Bill Paxton as Edgar Mitchell (voice) [portrayed Fred Haise in Apollo 13] *Barry Pepper as John Young (voice) *Kevin Pollak as Director (voice) [[Joseph Francis Shea|Joe Shea] in From the Earth to the Moon and the voice of Pres. Eisenhower in The Right Stuff] *Julie Shimer as Future Astronaut (voice) *Gary Sinise as Eugene Cernan (voice) [portrayed Ken Mattingly in Apollo 13] *Peter Scolari as Pete Conrad (voice) [reprised From the Earth to the Moon ep. 1 role] *John Travolta as James Irwin (voice) *Donnie Wahlberg as Helium 3 Commander (voice) *Rita Wilson as Beta Station Commander (voice) [portrayed Susan Borman in From the Earth to the Moon] Awards On February 16, 2006, Jack Geist, Johnathan Banta, and Jerome Morin received the award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Film from the Visual Effects Society for their work on the film. References External links * Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D official web site * * [http://www.thespacereview.com/article/419/1 Preview: Magnificent Desolation] by Jeff Foust, The Space Review, August 1, 2005 * [http://www.thespacereview.com/article/461/1 Review: Magnificent Desolation] by Jeff Foust, The Space Review, September 26, 2005 * [http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-120602a.html Review: Magnificent Desolation] by Robert Pearlman, collectSPACE, September 20, 2005 Category:2005 films Category:2000s documentary films Category:IMAX short films Category:Films about astronauts Category:Films about the Apollo program Category:Playtone films Category:American documentary films Category:American films Category:Documentary films about the space program of the United States Category:2000s 3D films Category:American 3D films Category:Moon in film Category:3D short films Category:2000s short films Category:Short documentary films Category:Films produced by Tom Hanks Category:Films with screenplays by Tom Hanks Category:IMAX documentary films Category:Documentary films about space Category:Cultural depictions of Neil Armstrong Category:Cultural depictions of Dwight D. Eisenhower Category:Film scores by Blake Neely Category:Film scores by James Newton Howard